


Green

by KiraTypes



Category: Marvel Cinematic Universe, The Avengers (Marvel Movies)
Genre: Gen, Not Romance, Original Character(s)
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2018-10-01
Updated: 2018-12-07
Packaged: 2019-07-18 19:21:54
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 8
Words: 9,291
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/16125059
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/KiraTypes/pseuds/KiraTypes
Summary: [This is my first Marvel fanfic.]14 year old Aya McDowell typically took her dog out for walks at night, and doing so led her and her dog to be the only survivors of a massive house fire that took her family away. Now, she has to live with her grandparents in New York City, which leads her to meet Peter Parker, who may have been the best and worst person to come into her life.Loki Odinson wasn't supposed to get a second chance on Earth, but with Thor promising to always keep a close eye on him and kill him if nessecary, it was allowed. Loki ended up staying in the Avengers tower with his brother. When the young Peter Parker took him sightseeing and ended up bumping into a girl with her dog, Loki took an immediate interest to her. Who was she, and what was it about her that interested him?





	1. 1

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Please keep in mind that this is my first ever Marvel fanfiction. Also keep in mind that I'm 15 years old and trying my best. Don't comment negativity in the comments, please.

     **New Jersey, September**

     My dog was a rescue - he couldn't be around other animals or else he'd attack them or get attacked himself. It's just how he was trained, and no matter how much we tried to get him out of his habits, nothing really worked, and he just stayed like that.

     So naturally, I started to take him for walks at night.

     He liked it a lot - he got to enjoy a relaxing walk, and I got to see the stars when the clouds would part just right. It was usually very quiet and serene whenever I walked him. No dogs in our way, no cars coming at us, just peace and quiet.

     That wasn't the case tonight, though. It was loud. There were too many dogs barking, too many cars passing by and too many sirens.

     _Loud. Loud. Loud. Make it stop, please!_

     When we began our walk home, I could finally see the commotion bright and clear in front of my eyes.  

     A house fire.

 _My_ house fire. 

     I couldn't do anything. Where was my family? Weren't they going to come out? Were they okay? Are they at the hospital?

     A million thoughts ran through my mind at that moment. I had no idea what was happening to my family. I didn't know if they were okay until I heard the command that changed my life.

     "No survivors. Just stop the fire from spreading!"

     That was it. That was how quickly it all happened. One moment I was taking my dog on a walk, and the next moment, that dog was all I had.

     So I gripped onto the leash tightly, so tightly that with every tug the leash burnt into my skin. My legs gave out, and I fell to my knees on the driveway. As neighbors stared at the fire slowly dying down, I stared at the garage, praying it was a nightmare, and it would open up, and I would see my mother again, waving to me as I got on the bus. 

     But that didn't happen. And it would never happen again.

 

**New York City, October**

     My grandparents lived in an apartment in New York City. They were the first ones who offered to take me into their care. We buried my family at the nearest cemetery after a funeral for them. I switched to a high school in the city and began rebuilding myself. My dog had to be trained not to attack other dogs, but I knew that wouldn't happen, so he started getting used to the muzzle.

     Life with my grandparents wasn't so bad. They taught me how to cook various things, and I learned my way around the city pretty quickly. I learned quickly that nobody in New York cares if you walk around screaming that the end is near due to the number of attacks from aliens they've experienced, so with that in mind I began to act like myself without worrying who cared, because none of them did.

     Whenever a fire truck or an ambulance passed by, I got immediate panic, which wasn't good considering where I was living. It quickly became a living hell for me, but having the aid of my grandparents made it a lot more bearable than I could've imagined. Bearable to the point where I could begin to walk my dog again and return to school.

     Both of those came with perks and disadvantages. A perk of going to school was I met a lot of new people who distracted me from the amount of pain I was in, and a disadvantage was that it was really loud, and I was not too fond of loud places in general.

     Walking my dog was a lot of fun, as I got to explore the city, but he went after every other animal he saw, and walking him at night wouldn't make it any better.

     I also got myself a boyfriend, who cherished me like I was a gold nugget in the gold rush. Jason Aberdeen was his name, and while he trusted me a lot, he never really talked about himself all that much.

     He never told me his family life, and I barely knew his friends. Nonetheless, I trusted him like an idiot, which I know now that that was a mistake.

     Whatever. Mistakes seem to be the thing I'm best at making.

 


	2. 2

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> theres a switch from first POV to third in this chapter. it'll probably stay that way for the rest of the story

   I trusted him too much and ended up getting hurt in the end. 

   
*******

   
     Aya regretted agreeing to meet her ex-boyfriend after dumping him. It was a stupid mistake on her part to go. Along with their relationship, she also lost her dignity as well.

     He took advantage of her. He used her for his own pleasure and then left her in a cold and dark alleyway. With her phone ringing off the hook from her worried grandparents, she slowly rose and fixed her clothes, grasping onto the last bit of dignity she had as she began walking, texting her grandmother that she was sleeping over a friend's house.

     She wasn't.

    She made her way to Trinity Church, the church where her family was buried. Despite it being nighttime, the gates remained open. She pushed the metal gate open and began to walk through the cemetery, finding herself standing right in front of her family's graves.

    Macy McDowell  
    Born October 16th, 1976  
    Died September 23rd, 2018  
    Loving Mother and Loved Daughter

    Tristan McDowell  
    Born February 15th, 2003  
    Died September 23rd, 2018  
    Fantastic and Loved Son and Brother  
    

     Bobby McDowell  
     Born December 13th, 2005  
     Died September 23rd, 2018  
     Fantastic and Loved Son and Brother

    Aya sighed softly to herself and collapsed in front of the graves. She couldn't see them, but spirits lurked about, surrounding the living being without her knowledge as few made attempts to possess the body, desperate for another chance at life. The only one who succeeded was the ghost of a 13-year-old boy named Bobby - her brother. His brother watched the easy possession and decided to try it as well, their mother following suit.

     By the time all of the spirits dispersed and Aya got up to go, she was no longer alone. With her was her family, ready to make her life a living hell from that moment forward.

**New York City, November**

    Aya ended up dropping out of high school and going to online classes instead. Her fear of what Jason would do to her prevented her from getting any help for what had happened a month ago, and her fear of him and boys in general kept her from attending regular school. She hadn't left the apartment for anything but bringing her dog out to use the bathroom.

    Life wasn’t enjoyable. It was loud, pesky, and all in all worthless to her. What purpose was she serving anymore?

     Thoughts like these became more prominent since Jason used her. Her mind became clouded with despair as each day passed that she lived with the memory.

      It was hard to overcome it - it was all she could think about. Suicide became the number one thought in her mind, and she couldn’t do anything about it. It hurt every day.

     It hurt so much.

     And yet, what could she do? Her fear was holding her back. He threatened her with her grandmother’s life if she even thought of going to the police. How would he know? Was he stalking her?

    Regardless of how he knew, he said he’d know. Considering the grief in her life already, she didn’t want to take any chances.

     Since she wasn’t in school, she wasn’t leaving the apartment anymore, thus worrying her grandparents. Was she getting enough sunlight? Was she getting enough air? They tried to negotiate with her, wanting her to go outside and be a normal kid again. For Christ's sake, she was only 14 years old!

     Eventually, it was established that she couldn't be negotiated with. She was too afraid of everyone around her - afraid of the boys that she would see walking, afraid of the sirens she would hear every day, it was all too much. Her senses were overloaded with things that scared her. Ever since she visited the cemetery, it was only worse.

    Of course, it wasn't an excuse. The dog was in desperate need of a walk and Aya was in desperate need of an escape. So, her grandparents kicked her out of the apartment and told her she wasn't allowed back in for three hours. Quite the hellish scenario, and not what anyone should do when a child is suffering from trauma. Nonetheless, she began to walk with earbuds in, trying to block out the sirens and the boys she passed by.

    Each boy looked like Jason. Each gave her an eerie glance as they passed by, as if reminding her of what he did to her. Each boy whispered the words _'You're mine'_ to her as she swiftly walked past them. The haunting reminders of his actions lurked around her each second she spent out there.

    'Mercy,' cried her soul. 'Have mercy on me!'

    No matter how much she begged and screamed in her mind, it fell upon deaf ears. The only ones listening were the spirits who had latched onto her body. She hated it. She yearned to be inside and silently cursed at her grandparents for forcing her out.

     The boys she saw were all hallucinations. None of them truly looked like Jason. None claimed her as theirs with a whisper. None looked at her eerily. Everyone who passed by her paid more attention to the dog than to her.

    After what felt like an eternity, she was finally allowed back to the apartment. Her dog was exhausted. He just wanted to nap, and Aya couldn't blame him. As they came upon the apartment block, the dog stopped, refusing to walk any further on his sore paws.

    Aya tugged gently at the leash. "C'mon, Ranger. We're almost home," She muttered, watching him lay down on the sidewalk.

    She frowned and tugged again. "Get up. I wanna get inside."

     Ranger refused. The brindle was tired, and Aya was far too weak to carry a dog as large as him.

     She tugged again, this time with more force. "Get! Up!"

   He just tucked his head under his paws and ignored her, causing her to groan with annoyance. She considered giving up and sitting next to him, with her legs just as tired but wasn't allowed to due to the voice of someone new interrupting her thoughts, and her music.

     "Do you need help?" Came the voice. She looked over to the right, seeing two men - one a younger boy, and one older. One of them had brown hair, short, and he wore jeans and a sweatshirt. The man with him wore a black suit. An all-black suit, and had long greasy black hair.

      To say the least, Aya was petrified. His facial features began to morph to a sickening image of Jason, her fear at that moment causing more to pop up and surround her, rendering her immobile until the boy's voice cut through again.

      "Oh! I'm Peter," He reached for a handshake, but awkwardly reeled his hand back in when Aya just stared at him with wide eyes.

     "Uh, Parker," The man interjected softly. "Judging by the fact that she looks absolutely terrified, I think the last thing she wants is to shake your hand," He spoke in an elegant manner, his British accent tearing away the images of Jason one by one. Jason didn't have an accent.

     Aya came back to her senses. The real world began to shine through her hallucinations as she stared at the older, greasy man who had stopped time and took away the apparitions. For once, despite being in the presence of a man, she felt _safe_.

     Safe enough to accept Peter's offer of help. As soon as she did, he slowly walked forward and pet Ranger, allowing the dog to get used to him before nonchalantly scooping the dog up in his arms and carrying him down to the entrance of the building. Aya hastily walked after him, thanking him when he set the dog down near the elevator.

     "It's no problem!" Peter smiled a toothy grin, the backdrop of the city through the glass doors suiting the teen perfectly. The older man had stayed outside, just observing the scene before Peter went back to him, and the two began walking again.

    Aya sighed to herself. Her heart was racing from her anxiety, and she nervously waited for the elevator. Ranger sat at her side as the lift ascended to the 17th floor, stopping and allowing it's passengers to disembark. She got off the elevator and went back to her grandparents.

     Ranger finally got the nap he deserved.  
      
      
    


	3. 3

 

>  

     Who was she? 

     The girl who stared, Loki dubbed her. With her wide, terrified green eyes she stared before accepting the young Parker's offer. Loki was intrigued by her - what was she so scared of? He was curious, the question lingering in his mind for hours after Peter dropped him back off at the tower.

     What made her so intriguing?

**Turmon**

    The race of nomadic aliens stared at the Midgardian who had dared to step foot on their planet. His nerve almost impressed the hostile creatures, as he marched right up to their throne and sat down, looking at them with an arrogant smirk.

     "Midgardian," Spoke their leader. "If you know what is best then I suggest you leave."

     He laughed out loud. "I'd go back to Earth in a heartbeat, guys! My ship crashed and broke!"

     Their leader aimed a weapon at his head. "That is not our problem."

     The man didn't flinch. He just looked around at the sizeable glistening castle he ended up in, smiling to himself. "You guys need a leader like me."

     "Excuse me?"

     "I mean, think about it!" He stood up and clasped his hands together. "If you guys wanna get to Earth, I'm the best guy to get you there. You could take over the Nine Realms and become a god!" He spoke enthusiastically, smiling widely as he spread his arms out. "And if I were the one leading that, you could have so much more than the Nine Realms."

     It was convincing. The hostile group of aliens wanted just that - a stronger leader who could take them to their former glory as rulers of the known universe. If the human before them was truthful, then they could have everything they yearned for and more.

     "C'mon, whadd'ya say?" The human smiled and leaned towards the group. "Yes? No?"

     The leader stepped forward and removed his crown from his head. "If you are true, then I hope you can bring my people to our glory."

    The man smiled and gratefully accepted the crown. "Oh don't worry, I will."

**Apartment 1746**

     Aya silently ate dinner with her grandparents, cutting into the chicken she hated and feeding the smaller pieces to Ranger, who sat obediently at her side like a guardian angel. Her grandmother sighed softly.

     “Aya, please don’t feed the dog table scraps. You know he gets sick because of that," Her grandmother frowned. "How was your walk?"

    "Hellish," The teen blankly responded. "It was a new form of torture."

     Her grandfather chuckled. "Oh, don't say that! You're just antisocial!"

     "No, grandpa. I'm sad."

     "Over what?"

     Her eye twitched in annoyance. As much as she loved her grandparents, they were tiring to talk to. They didn't understand her. They didn't understand the fact that she felt emotions and felt them strong, especially since she visited the cemetery.

     Just what was happening, she wondered? What happened to make her 10x more sensitive to everything?

   Occasionally, she could see her family in her mind. She saw sickening images of their charred corpses, heard their cries for help, and felt their fear and despair.

    Her mother held the strings as she orchestrated a new kind of pain in her living daughter. Always lurking above her shoulder, she whispered haunting words in the child's ear, yearning for her to join the family at Trinity Church. The dead woman pleaded with the lord to allow her to embrace her daughter on her pathway to death.

    It wasn't fair. Why did Aya live but she didn't? Why was Aya allowed to continue living but she had to die? What did she do right that Macy did wrong?

   As soon as Aya finished eating, she began to help clean the table, bringing dirty plates to her grandmother to clean before spraying the table and going over to the window to gaze out at the city. Ranger joined her, resting his head on her lap and whimpering for her undivided attention. She smiled softly and pet the dog, allowing him to lick her hand before he got up and bounded over to her grandmother.

    There was a knocking on the door. Aya opened the door before her best friend from school pushed it open the rest of the way, allowing a burst of cold air to hit the girl's face.

   "Aya!" She lit up and pulled the girl to her room. "I have so much to talk about with you!"

   The door was left open, and Ranger peeked his curious head out of the doorway, sniffing a bit before slowly stepping out into the crisp and cold fall air. Then, he began running, making his way to the elevator and sitting there until the door opened and someone got out, then sitting there as it descended downwards due to someone on the first floor calling it.

   As soon as the door opened, the dog ran out, the automatic doors opening for him as he raced through the streets of New York, not caring what was in his way.

   "Aya!" Her grandfather called. "The dog got out! Go get him!"

   "Huh?" Aya perked up and got up, her friend letting go of her hand. "Ah, Sierra. Stay here, okay?"

   "Got it!" Sierra smiled and stayed on the bed as Aya raced out of the apartment with a leash in hand, not expecting the dog to get as far as he did.

**Avenger's Tower, Manhattan**

    Loki sat at the dinner table with Thor at his side. Although he didn't enjoy the company of the Avengers, he tolerated them for some more time on Midgard. He was interested in the planet - it's customs, its magic, everything about it. He enjoyed exploring the Nine Realms, as each world was different and therefore interesting.

    "Anything new, buddy?" Tony Stark spoke up through the silence. "What did the kid show you?"

     Loki looked up. "Uh," He looked down again. "Buildings. Lots of buildings."

     "So nothing important?"

     "No. Well, he accidentally showed me something interesting," Loki looked up, meeting the man's eyes. "There was a girl that we came across on our walk.”

     ”Was there?” Tony hummed. ”What did she look like?” 

     ”If I remember correctly, she was young - the boy's age. She had long brown hair and these terrified,  _terrified_ ~~~~green eyes.”

     ”Why was she scared?” 

     ”I’m not quite sure.”

      Bruce Banner spoke up. ”Maybe because she was face to face with the guy who tried to take over New York.” 

      ”That’s plausible.” 

      They continued eating dinner in silence. Loki wasn't willing to say anything. The fact that Thor hadn't spoken since dinner began worried him a bit, but he didn't talk about it. 

      The television was on - just to make sure everything in the city was alright. The entire time, it hadn't made a sound, but an alarm began to blare as the news station flicked over, showing live footage of Times Square in chaos. 

     ”What the...” Tony slowly stood up. ”Are you kidding me?” 

     The reporter was screaming over the noise as the camera panned to the scene behind him - large humanoid aliens, with human-like features and unhuman like heights. They grabbed civilians and threw them to the side, stepping on vehicles and smashing windows of buildings.

     At the center, a dog stood, staring at the creatures he was unfamiliar with, wondering what was happening. Then came the loud and worried cries of a young girl, wanting her dog to return to her side.

**Times Square**

     Aya, in all honesty, had no idea what to do. New York was in the midst of an alien attack, and her dog was just sitting in the center, untouched and unbothered by the monsters around him. The aliens were curious with him - what was he? They had never seen anything like it on their planet. 

     "Ranger!" Aya cried out, panting tiredly from all the running she was doing. Her dog looked towards her and made a move to go to her, but was stopped when a large hand swooped down in front of him. 

     Aya stopped dead in her tracks, her body refusing to move despite every fiber of her being screaming at her to move and get her dog. 

     "This creature..." Spoke the alien. "He belongs to me now." 

      _"No!"_ thought the girl. _"He's all I have left of my old home!"_

     Slowly, she gulped and stood her ground, unable to meet the monster's gaze. "He belongs to me." 

     Time was standing still. In an amazing face off with a young girl and an alien, it seemed like the world could crumble at their feet. When the large hand grabbed Aya by the neck and lifted her off the ground, she was shocked - taken off guard by the continuation of time. She began squirming and kicking as she began to get less air into her lungs. 

     "I don't think you understand, human," His voice was deep. He lifted her higher and higher until there was at least a meter of air in between her and the ground. "The creature is mine now. I'm going to bring him home with me." 

      She clawed desperately at his hand, wanting a second chance in her unforgiving world. "Don't..." 

      "Hm?" 

      "Don't touch my dog!" She yelled, getting a burst of energy and kicking the alien hard in the stomach. It groaned and dropped her, doubling over a bit in pain before regaining composure and standing tall on its feet, glaring over the panting girl as she attached the leash to Ranger's collar and slowly stood up. 

       Time didn't freeze that time. Aya stared up at the monster, something she wished only appeared in dreams as she waited for it to finish her off. The haunting whispers of her family echoed in her ear in the moments before it began to descend a hand towards her. 

        _Don't fight it._

_Join us._

_We miss you._

     Aya trembled. From the cold or from fear, she was uncertain. One thing for certain, however, was the danger siren going off in her mind as she just stood in her place. Suddenly and out of nowhere, a loud blast came from the air, and the alien before her fell over. Aya looked over and above her head, and saw another burst of the energy fly out of something. 

     The hovering being slowly descended, making itself known as Iron Man. Seeing him in person, and three feet away, was extremely shocking for Aya. Too much was happening, and as he worked to finish off the alien he had hit, others popped out of nowhere. One had a Stark gadget and electricity flowing from him. Another was Captain America, followed by a woman with short red hair and a man with one metal arm. There was a giant green man - the Hulk - and he was angrily smashing some of the aliens into each other. 

     Aya didn't know what to do. She just held the leash in her hand tightly and stared at the heroes in front of her do what they do, until she was told by Captain to get out of there. 

     She had no reason to stay, so she took a deep breath, made sure the collar was tight on her dog and began running away from the scene. 

**Apartment 1746**

     "Grandma?" Aya peeked her head into the apartment once unlocking the door. "I'm home!" 

     She was met with silence - a silence unfamiliar to her. As she stepped further into the apartment, she let the leash go, and Ranger immediately went to go lay down. Meanwhile, Aya took off her shoes and closed the door, heading to the kitchen to find any sign of her grandparents. As soon as she got there, a foul stench made its way towards her nose, and she looked down at the ground. 

     It was everything she had never wanted to see. Once again, the sight of loved ones in their final moment was burned into her mind, an image that would traumatize her for the rest of her days as she immediately collapsed to her knees, covering her mouth as a whimper attempted to escape. She trembled, her body aching to let out a cry of despair, but her fear refusing to let her do so. 

      _She wasn't alone in the apartment._

     The girl slowly rose from her position, stepping over the bodies and grabbing a knife from the holder before slowly making her way out of the kitchen. A trail of red had made its way to the girl's bedroom, and she slowly made her way over there as her heart pounded out of her chest, faster and faster as each moment went by. She slowly pushed open her bedroom door, and yet another horrific sight was burned into her mind. 

     Sierra's blonde hair was discolored - it had taken on the shade of a dark red now. Aya couldn't stand to look anymore. She didn't know what to do anymore. She was all alone, no grandparents around to save her now. 

     Once she turned out of her room, she was met with a looming figure. It was not one she was familiar with, and she didn't want to become familiar with it, so she pushed her knife into its stomach. 

     As soon as it backed away, she could see it - it was an alien. It held an open wound as blue droplets of blood spilled out. Aya approached the monster, eye's wide with fear as she stabbed it once again. She allowed the anger and fear in her life to take over her mind and her actions, taking out that anger on a creature who had worsened the burden.  

     It died without a struggle, and she dropped the knife. Her mind was becoming warped, hallucinations and visions of her own death filling her thoughts to the brim until a familiar and soothing voice entered her ears. 

     "You need to come with me." 

 


	4. 4

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> i have absolutely no clue what the tower looks like on the inside, so i'm just winging this. sorry if it irritates anyone. also, i'm just making it so they're all on good terms even if in canon they're not. im also only using characters that i know. like i said previously, i just recently got into marvel.

     There it was again. 

     That calming British accent that tore away the monsters of Aya's mind. Slowly, she turned to him, gripping the knife tightly in her hands as her entire frame trembled. 

     "I-I'm not afraid of you," She spoke in spite of her body language, which screamed 'I'm scared!' every four seconds. 

     The man in front of her just stared at her with a blank expression. "You need to come with me if you want to live." 

     "Bold of you to assume I want to live." 

     There was another awkward silence, with the two staring at each other longer than Aya would've preferred before the man knocked the knife out of her hand and grabbed her wrist. 

     "As I said, you need to come with me." 

     The touch of a man - a feeling she wished never to relive. As he gripped her wrist tightly, she began to panic and squirm, trying to hit him away. His grip was frozen solid on her arm, and the more she moved, the tighter he gripped. 

     Eventually, her movement got so annoying that he turned to her angrily and placed his hand on her forehead. If he were human, then it would be an odd move, but he wasn't human. 

     Wizard, magician, or demon, she didn't know what the strange man could be classified as, but with his touch came a flood of memories. She remembered vividly what had happened to her parents. She relived the fire, she relived Jason taking her dignity, and she finally realized what had happened to her at the cemetery. 

      It made more sense now. All of the thoughts she constantly had where she wished for her own death, all of the new paranoia and fear she constantly felt, it was because she was a _host,_ allowing her dead family to live within her mind as vengeful spirits, after her happiness. 

     Loki saw it all, as well. 

     Loki removed his hand from Aya's forehead, and her body relaxed. She could see the real world shine through another hallucination, and it blinded her. On the floor near her, blood. The apartment reeked of dead bodies, from aliens and humans alike. 

     She had an option - go with Loki and risk being kidnapped, or stay and eventually get evicted from the apartment. Of course, either way had a negative, but going with Loki had more of a positive. 

     Aya sighed. "Can I bring the dog with me?" 

     "I don't really care," He frowned and let go of her wrist. "Just...let's go." 

     She walked over to her dog and grabbed the leash, frowning to herself. "Sorry buddy. We have more walking to do." 

     Ranger was so over it by then. How much walking had he done in that entire day? Can't I get a break, he thought? Nonetheless, he obeyed the young girl in front of him and got up, ready to venture out into the day again. 

     Well, it was nighttime, but who cares? 

     Loki led the way, walking a bit slower than usual so she could keep up as he walked her through the city. Approaching their destination, Loki turned his head slightly to glance at the girl behind him. 

     Aya was more concerned with her dog, who had lied down on the sidewalk in annoyance. Seeing her tug and whine about the dog being bad, it made Loki realize that this was just a child. She was a traumatized child, having gone through more than what was necessary. 

     He didn't know what he felt. Sympathy or pity? Regardless of what it was, his heart clenched up a bit when he thought of it. It made him sad - which wasn't like him at all. 

     Who was he to feel pity for a human? Better yet, why did he feel anything at all for the young girl? 

**Avenger's Tower, Manhattan**

    Loki entered the tower with Aya, carrying her dog in his arms as he licked the man's face - irritating. 

    Aya held her hands behind her back as she shifted nervously from one foot to the other. The elevator ascended a few floors before stopping and allowing the two - or three - to get off. They walked down a hall before approaching a table, where a group of people sat in wait. 

     Tony Stark sat at the head of the table, his arms folding over his chest as he leaned back in the chair. Next to Tony to the right was Bruce Banner, someone Aya had never imagined seeing face to face. Actually, Aya couldn't imagine meeting any of them face to face. 

     Moving on, next to Banner was Steve Rogers, or Captain America. He sat next to a man with a metal arm, and the man with the metal arm sat next to a woman with short red hair. Across from her was the man with the hammer. Two empty seats were next to him. 

     "That's the kid?" Steve asked. 

     "Yes," Loki put the dog down and wiped his clothes of dog hair, grimacing slightly before collecting himself and taking a seat next to his brother. 

     Aya stood in her place awkwardly with Ranger sitting at her side. 

     "So, where to begin," Tony sighed and leaned forward. "Why don't you take a seat, first?" 

     Aya did so wordlessly, Ranger following and laying down at her feet. 

     "Are you aware that you have an entire race of alien aiming their spears at your head?" The woman spoke. "Their leader saw you kill one of them. Now you're being hunted." 

     "How do you know?" 

     "We had Loki go and spy on you since you left Times Square." 

      Aya visibly grimaced. That was creepy, and wrong as well. Though she couldn't blame them for doing so, and guessed it was just a safety measure. 

      "So, then Loki radioed back in and told us that some guy was watching you and watched you kill the alien in your apartment. We're assuming he's their leader, despite being human," She kept explaining what had happened. "The race left New York for now, but we have to be on guard. Considering that guy was watching you very closely and had your family killed, we decided to bring you here." 

     Aya pursed her lips and went silent. She didn't know what to say. Should she be thankful or ashamed? 

     "Um..." She mumbled. "Why?" 

     "We just told you why," Tony frowned. "Come on. It isn't that hard to understand. Get used to living here." 

      "Why not just send me to other relatives?" 

      "That would put them at risk as well." 

       It all made a lot of sense, but at the same time, it made no sense. What did she do to become a target in the first place? What did her grandparents and Sierra do to get killed? 

        _It's all your fault,_ whispered her mother.  _You should just die and give those aliens what they want._

Her frame shook as the devious words entered her mind. Hearing her mother say such horrid things was slowly deteriorating her mental state, faster than it was before. She felt absolutely terrible. What had she done to deserve hospitality from the Avengers of all people. 

    Her self-loathing thoughts were becoming too much - repetitive, even. She just sat at that table, withering away in her hateful mind as the others around her watched her, waiting for her to say anything. When it became apparent that he wasn't gonna talk, Tony said something again. 

     "We'll probably have the stuff from your apartment transferred to your room here." 

      A few seconds passed before Aya silently nodded and thanked the group. When she was dismissed to go explore the tower, with a few places off limits, she got up, grabbed Ranger's leash, and began her exploring. 

 


	5. 5

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> me: ...  
> me: fuck it imma make them all OOC  
> infinity war didn't happen in this fic bc that fucked me up mentally next

     It took a few hours for all of Aya's belongings to be moved into the tower. The rest of it was thrown out since the owners of the apartment were dead. For a few days, Aya stayed inside her room, only ever leaving to bring Ranger to go outside and then returning swiftly and  holing herself up once again.

     If everyone who lived in the tower wasn't there, she'd spend some time on the highest floor she was allowed to go to and find a window before looking out at the skyline. The sight of New York City from such a high place calmed her mind, put her at ease with life. 

     Most of the time, she could freely roam without the fear of bumping into anyone. They were all busy people, being superheroes and all. Aya felt worthless when their light blinded her. She was no hero; she was just some sad, possessed 14 year old from the Jersey shore. 

     After about a week, someone finally made an effort to talk to her. The knocking at her door shocked her, and she jumped up slightly in shock. She beckoned for the person to come in, and the door opened slowly.

     The person standing in her doorway was Loki, the man who had taken her to the tower in the first place. It was so, _so_ unlike him to do what he was about to do, but he had no choice. He was under orders to do so. Everyone was relying on him to get her out of the tower and give her some actual air.

     So, he invited her on a walk, and to get some food with him. 

     Aya narrowed her eyes. "If you're only asking because the others want you to, then I'm not interested in going." 

     "Why not?" 

     "Because it's forced. What good is spending time with someone if they're not even into it?" She frowned. "I'd rather just stay here than go out with someone who would rather be doing anything else." 

     Loki sighed and crossed his arms. She made a valid point  - he would rather not spend time with her, even if she intrigued him a bit. 

    Even that was enough to motivate him to find out. What was it about this random kid that got him? That made him feel pity for a Midgardian, who a few years ago, he would've killed on his conquest to world domination?

     Did she even know that? 

     Regardless, he pushed her to go with him. 

    "Let's get to know each other, c'mon!" He used fake enthusiasm. 

    "Not interested," She wasn't swayed. "I'm not spending my entire life living here. Just until the threat is gone, I suppose." 

     Loki's eye twitched. Just how adamant was she on being a hermit? 

    "Then let's make the most of your time here," He further pressured. 

    "Why do that when you can do something worthwhile?" 

     He sighed in annoyance. "Food. Let's go get food." 

     That got her. She hadn't eaten all day, and boy was she hungry. So, she agreed to go, finally, and kicked the man out of her room while she got dressed. 

     Once they left, and the fresh air hit her face, Aya...woke up a bit. The world seemed more real. People were walking around, talking on the phone, walking their pets, going to restaurants, just... _doing things._ She hadn't seen it in so long, or what felt like so long. 

     On their walk, they passed by a lot of buildings. Aya awkwardly trailed behind the taller man, looking at each one and just taking in the essence of it. It was  _real._ People worked in it, people lived in it, people built it, it was standing tall and proud. 

     Why was she caring so much for buildings? What significance did it play in her life? 

     That's the fun part. It didn't play a role. None of the buildings in the city aside from the two she lived in were worth anything to her. Aya just noticed them more due to her lack of going outside. 

     Loki frowned when he turned around, and she wasn't nearby. She was staring up at an apartment building, an odd one where the doors didn't face each other, but rather faced the outside with no indoor hallway separating the two. 

      He recognized the building. It was the one she lived in, and she was staring at a door with caution tape over it. Her apartment. Aya was reminiscing about her life with her grandparents and a dog - a tranquil life, indeed. 

     But that wasn't her life now. With a slight gasp, Aya realized she was holding him up and hastily began walking again, trailing behind him once more. 

     After about an hour of walking, Loki finally took her into a McDonalds and let her order food before bringing her upstairs to eat, where there were fewer people to deal with. Aya began eating as soon as they sat down. 

     "I've spent some time on this planet before Thor brought me here to rebuild our home planet,” Loki sighed. ”And spending as much time as I have here, I’ve come to realize how _stupidly useless_ your race is.”

     Aya simply glanced at him, unbothered by his words. 

     Slightly disappointed by her reaction, Loki kept talking. ”I mean, you all destroy the planet you live on and refuse to fix it - not to mention, you're all so unadvanced compared to many other planets. It’s pathetic, to say the least.”  

     ”...If you're done being Sasuke, I’d like to finish my meal without the depressing monologue,” She frowned. 

     ”If I had the chance to, I’d exterminate every last one of you,” At this point, he just wanted a reaction. 

     “Who’s stopping you?” 

     It bothered Loki. Her lack of care for what he was saying just irked him. Does she even realize who she’s talking to? 

     “Do you even realize who you’re talking to?” He grumbled in annoyance. “I am Loki, god of mischief and this planet’s worst nightmare.” 

     “Then make me afraid, worst nightmare,” Aya frowned. “Do you actually think I’m afraid of you?” 

     “I don’t think you feel anything, as a matter of fact.” 

     “I feel plenty, thank you,” She got up and threw away her trash, walking over to the window and gazing out at the street and the pedestrians passing by. “You’re just...not scary. You’re trying too hard.”

     “I will admit, I have been trying to get you to react to what I’m saying,” Loki got up as well and stood a few feet behind the girl. “Have you not heard of me?” 

     “Why would I?” 

     There was his answer - somehow, she didn’t know about the New York attack, about how he killed 80 people in 2 days. She had no idea. She wasn’t afraid of him. In fact, she looked down on him. 

     Why? What gave her the right? 

     Loki went on to explain his life - how he was abandoned on Jotunheim, how Odin, king of Asgard took him in on the freezing battle field, how he attempted to rule the world with New York as the capital of his empire, everything. All while the 14 year old didn’t bat an eye. 

     “Are you afraid now?” He frowned. 

     “Not at all,” Aya turned around to face him. “My family has tangoed with death and I’ve stared him straight in the eye.” 

     “What does that have to do with anything?” 

     “I don’t have to be afraid of you just because you’re royalty, or because you attacked this city. I’ve shown death my dancing skills, and he’s lost American Idol to me,” She spoke, spewing references he wouldn’t understand even if he racked the farthest corners of his brain for answers. 

     Still, he let out a dry chuckle and put his hands in his pocket. “Well, I, too, have had my fair dance with death. Several times, actually.”

     “Oh? And who won?” Aya walked forward, to where she was standing closer to the man.

     “Who’s standing here right now?” 


	6. 6

 

     On their walk back home, Aya ended up walking at Loki's side instead of a few feet behind him. She felt a bit more accustomed to him - it was apparent that he was easier to talk to, but she didn't know why. She shared things in common with everyone else in the tower - but just couldn't find herself feeling any safer around them, even if they were superheroes. 

     When Loki looked up at the cloudy sky, he wasn't sure if his eyes were deceiving him, or if he was actually seeing two aliens falling from the sky. Confirming they were real, he leaned over to the young girl next to him. 

     "I hope you're ready to dance again," He mumbled. "Those aliens look like they want to audition." 

     Just as she looked up, the creatures crashed down onto the street in front of her, sending broken pieces of the road and some dust in all different directions. When the being rose up, it was slow, and it gave Loki enough time to slip the young girl a dagger for defense. 

     "What the hell am I supposed to do with this?" She hissed. 

     "Defend yourself." 

     "With what physical strength?" 

     Loki frowned. Again, she made a valid point. She was just a kid - a kid who had never trained a day in her life for anything like this. So, he took back his dagger and pushed Aya behind him as one of the aliens began approaching the pair. All he could really do was fake out the thing while waiting for the Avengers to arrive and kill it. 

     But what if they didn't?

**Avengers Tower**

    Ranger was on a mission - he had to win every body's approval. He wanted everyone in the tower to pet him and praise him, and found that Aya being gone was the perfect chance for that. Once a tower worker let him out to eat, he did what he had to do before trotting over to a living room type room. It was a slow day, so everyone was taking a chance to relax before anything significant happened. He found a man with blonde hair on the couch, talking softly to a man with long dark hair. He didn't understand what they were saying - all he understood were simple commands, his name, and Aya's love. To be honest, he didn't quite care. All he wanted to do was get their attention and affection. 

     He figured if he got their affection, they'd be more willing to be open to Aya. She was always so closed off, refusing to leave her room because she feared the other people in the tower - the ones with power. She was afraid they'd do something to her, and they didn't want to bother with a kid who wasn't going to matter in a few years. 

     So if they got to know the friendly dog she brought along, the master couldn't be that bad, right? 

     Steve looked over. "Oh, hi there." 

     Ranger just sat down, his tail wagging and his ears down. 

     The greasier man looked at the dog as well. "Isn't that the kid's dog? What's he doing here?" 

     "Maybe he has to pee," Blondie stood up. "Didn't you go out, bud?" 

     Ranger didn't understand his words. His tail just wagged faster with anticipation. It was working. He was slowly approaching the first step in getting his master more liked. 

     When Steve put his hand on his head, he went straight into euphoria. He was so happy that he had achieved one goal, and his tail wagged ever faster as he leaned his head into the man's hand. 

     "He just wants attention," He sighed and kept petting the dog. "Probably misses the kid." 

     Bucky just stayed on the couch, watching the interaction. 

     Ranger was happiest at that moment - even if he did act up and throw hissy fits occasionally, he truly would do anything for the girl who watched over him. He couldn't remember much, but he did remember the 2nd grade girl who begged her mother to bring him home from the rescue shelter after he was dropped off by the bike gang that took him from the fighting pen. He remembered her mother saying a pitbull was too dangerous, but she cried until she was able to bring him home. 

     To him, she was an angel, and he'd do anything to make sure her wings were never tattered. 

     Steve wasn't able to pet the dog for long. An alarm in the tower signaled that danger was somewhere, so he and Bucky had to leave quickly to see it and fight it if necessary. 

     Ranger was just left sitting there, happy as can be. 

*******

     "It took you long enough," Loki hissed to his brother when he finally landed. "We almost died out here." 

     "You know well how to fight, brother," Thor spoke gruffly. "They're two aliens. You could have well handled them on your own."

     "I'm trained to fight things my height and a bit taller than me. These  _things_ are about twice my height." 

     Thor began swinging the gadget he had, allowing his electricity to flow through it before he chucked it at the aliens knees, letting it fall to the floor before running and retrieving the weapon. "Then just take out it's kneecaps."

     Aya stared at the heroes at work. It only took Iron Man's blasters to get one of them down while the Winter Soldier finished it off with a bullet to the head. They were weak creatures, but hostile. In many ways, just like humans. 

     Maybe that's why a human had taken interest to their species instead of trying to get off of the unknown planet. Maybe that's why they were letting said human control them - they were weak. 

     A bullet could easily finish them off. Imagine what an army could do to their race. 

 


	7. 7

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> flashback chapter lmaofnejid

     The moment the new girl walked into Sierra's homeroom, she immediately wanted to take her under her wing. The girl looked sad - her eyes were half-lidded as if she had barely gotten any sleep. She was shifting uncomfortably as if she had never worn a uniform before. With all eyes on her, the girl introduced herself. 

     "Aya McDowell," She said. "I'm from New Jersey. It's nice to meet you all." 

     Sierra liked her. As cheer squad leader, it was her duty to make everyone feel welcomed as well as cheer on the school. So as soon as homeroom ended, she made her way to Aya's desk and pulled up a chair next to her. 

     Aya slowly looked up from her phone, into the other girl's shining blue eyes. "Um..." 

     Sierra flashed her a gleaming smile. "I'm Sierra Faulkner!" The girl spoke. "I'd like to be your friend!" 

     For a brief moment, Aya was quiet. Not only was she uncomfortable, but she was also now being overwhelmed by this overly excited girl. She sighed to herself before flashing a smile - a fake smile. 

     "Aya," Was all she said about herself. "Nice to meet you." 

     Sierra lit up. "Can we be friends?!" 

     It was a very sudden question, but it was expected. Aya simply nodded, shifting a bit in her seat before breaking the silence. "Is there a day where we don't have to wear these stupid uniforms?" 

     "What's wrong with them?" 

     "They're too...showy?" She mumbled. "And the colors suck." 

     In Sierra's opinion, the uniform's colors looked better on Aya than anyone else. The black short skirt and green sweater suited her; they matched her eyes well. It also looked good on her. Maybe it was because Sierra had worn uniforms all her life, but she was just used to them. She always made the trek to school in the skirts and got used to it. 

     "Well, sometimes we have days where we can wear normal clothes. It's usually once or twice a year, but we have to pay if we want to. Most of the students just wear their uniforms anyway," Sierra explained. 

     "Ah." 

     Sierra flashed her a smile. "If you ever have any questions about the school, feel free to ask, okay? I want to make your time here as comfortable as possible!" 

     The girls exchanged numbers just before the bell rang, and the day went on per usual for Sierra. Hours passed before the final bell rang, and the girl made her way to the line of buses that waited outside for the students. She took her bus to her usual drop off place before walking another three blocks to her apartment complex. 

     With Aya, she was completely lost. Her grandparents had dropped her off in the morning, but now she had no idea how to return. Did she take a bus or walk? Considering the drive was 10 minutes, walking would most likely take more than that. Maybe an hour, if she knew where to go. It was October, so the air was crisp and cold. Walking in a skirt? That seemed like hell. 

     She walked out of the school before getting far too cold for comfort and taking shelter in a shop. Afterwards, she braved the cold once again and began making the trek to her apartment. She made it after an hour, and by then her grandparents had begun to make dinner. 

     "Aya?" Her grandmother spoke, looking away from the pot of boiling spaghetti. "Why didn't you just take the bus? It stopped here." 

     "What?" 


	8. 8

     Once they all arrived back at the tower, Aya took shelter in her room. As soon as her loyal dog followed her, the door was closed, signaling she was done with interacting with the heroes for the day - possibly for the next few days as well. 

     Some of them went to wash up, wanting to get dust and alien grime off of them. Some others went to nap, but Tony took Loki and sat him down at the table. 

     "So," He began. "What'd you two do?" 

     "We walked around the city. Got some food. Nearly lost our lives to some aliens; you know, the usual," Loki replied, messing with his cuticles to avoid making awkward eye contact with Tony. 

     "That's it?" He raised an eyebrow. "Nothing exciting?" 

     "I think a near death experience is pretty exciting. Well, for her, at least. I'm used to it." 

     Tony let out a slight chuckle, dismissing Loki to go to his room before heading up to his lab to finish a new project he was working on. 

*******

It was quite the unusual sight that Steve saw the following morning. While brewing himself a cup of coffee in the kitchen, he noticed two small shadows whisk by him, with the taller one holding a stash of food in her arms. He didn't have to chase them to know who it was, because the only one with a dog in the tower was Aya, and the only one who felt the need to sneak past everyone was Aya. 

     "Hold it!" He called to her, watching the shadow freeze in place as he made his way out of the kitchen to see the girl standing there next to her dog, who sat down with his ears pressed to his head and his tail wagging. 

     "Yes, Mr. Captain?" She spoke nervously, clutching her food stash closer to her chest. 

     "Where are you going with all that food, missy?" 

     "Back to my room." 

     "Why? Just eat it down here." 

     "No offense but I'd rather kill myself." 

     How was he _not_ supposed to take offense to that? 

     "Listen, kid - " 

     "No, Mr. Captain!" Aya glared at him. "I'm not gonna eat down here with you. No need! I'll be out of this tower in a few weeks at most!" 

     "Why not make your time here enjoyable, then?" Steve suggested. "C'mon, come sit with me. I won't hurt you." 

     Aya thought for a moment. Should she give in or be a stubborn brat? Ranger seemed content with the man. He even trotted over and let Steve pet him. If Ranger was happy, what could be the harm? 

      _Plenty of harm in mingling._

     Ah, jeez. The ghosts are at it again. Making her life an _annoying_ living hell by whispering their demonic words into her ears. No matter how much Aya tried to ignore them, it was incredibly difficult; like, _annoyingly_ difficult. Couldn't they leave her alone for a little bit? 

     "I don't see any reason to sit here with you," Aya frowned, remaining adamant on her original goal. "I'm sorry, but I'm not here to be your friend." 

     "There's no harm in being social with us," Steve frowned as well, becoming annoyed with her persistence. "We aren't going to hurt you." 

     "I'm not afraid of being hurt. I just don't want to bother with people who won't remember who I am in a year." 

     Pinching the bridge of his nose, Steve looked down at the teen in front of him. Yes, he was becoming annoyed, and no, he wasn't willing to act on his annoyance. This _was_ a kid, after all. 

     "Fine, fine," Steve gave in. "Go." 

     As soon as Ranger took her side, the duo raced back up to her room to live in solitude for the next few days. Steve looked on as they left, sipping his coffee with s frustrated sigh as he mentally went over ways to get her to be more social with them. 

     

     

     

     


End file.
